Pittswood Birds

As yesterday, the day started frosty and sunny before clouding over for the afternoon.

I didn't post a blog yesterday, it was a dire visit, with disturbance everywhere, consequently, very little was of any note, just the 3 recently arrived summer species of BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and SWALLOW, two raptor species of BUZZARD and KESTREL, plus a GREY HERON that visited the lakes, very poor for an April visit  :-(

Today was slightly better, with all the recreational morons back at work! The third WHEATEAR record for the month was seen sitting on a paddock fence line at Migrant Alley, a cracking male, but it didn't hang about for a photo! Out on the sheep pasture a couple of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS and 4 HERRING GULLS continue visit, with them were a pair of GREYLAG GEESE.

One of the Greylags on the sheep pasture.

Sheep on the sheep pasture

As yesterday, Buzzard and Kestrel were seen up hunting, Swallows were whizzing around the sheep, plus Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing in the Scrubby Woods, the latter I watched for a while as it brought feathers in to line its nest. Scanning the lakes there was little to be seen at first, the MUTE SWANS are busy incubating eggs, as are a CANADA GEESE pair, a few MALLARD and MOORHENS were about as usual, but I then saw 2 MANDARIN DUCKS (66) both males swim out from the tree overhang, one more species for the months list, which is still languishing in 12th place out of the fifteen Aprils recorded, so many migrants are just not returning here this year...........so much habitat gone!

Back home the feeders are still being visited by SISKINS, but the Redpolls are long gone now. An interesting observation I made was seeing the STARLINGS taking Lavender sprigs up to their nest site. I looked up info on the lavender plant, using the internet, and found that it is has natural anti bacterial properties, so the starlings must use it to help keep the nest free from bacteria - but how did they come by this knowledge!